The Dizzy Patient Evaluation

by Dr. Christopher Chang, last modified on 4/13/21

DISCLAIMER: We do NOT consider ourselves "dizzy" experts, but provide the following info as a service to patients. As we are an ENT practice, we will only perform the appropriate testing and evaluation to see if the ears and/or allergies are a cause of a patient's dizziness. Anything more needs to be arranged through your primary care physician or another specialist. Generally speaking, a neurologist is the specialist able to provide the most comprehensive evaluation of dizziness.

The dizziness lasts continuously for weeks to months before improving...

...and is associated with severe hearing loss and/or tinnitus.


You may be suffering from labyrinthitis also known as vestibulitis or vestibular neuritis (inner ear infection). This is a condition whereby the balance nerve going to one (or both) of your ears has been infected by a virus. There is no great treatment for this condition beyond supportive care (hydration and anti-nausea medications). Medications that do seem to help reduce the severity and duration include high dose steroids. Be aware that a stroke can also present this way and needs to be checked out. As such, one should go to the emergency room or see a neurologist. Workup for this condition includes a MRI or CT scan of the brain to make sure no stroke has occurred. If this study comes back normal, a hearing test and ENG are supportive studies on the diagnosis.

Home balance exercises may be recommended to help with the dizziness.

Read more about dizziness in general here.


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